Tilka Majhi – The Forgotten Spark of India’s Freedom Struggle

When we speak of India’s fight for independence, our minds often turn to 1857 — the so-called First War of Independence. But history holds a deeper truth. More than seventy years before sepoys took up arms against the British, a tribal leader from present-day Jharkhand had already set the forest ablaze with the fire of rebellion. His name was Tilka Majhi (referred to as Tilka Manjhi in certain sources). The Making of a Rebel Born in 1750 in Sultanganj, Tilka Majhi belonged to the Santhal tribe — a community deeply connected to its land and forests. When the East India Company tightened its grip on resources, imposing unfair taxes and snatching forest rights, Majhi saw not just economic injustice but an assault on his people’s dignity and survival. The 1784 Revolt – A Forgotten First Tilka Majhi organized a guerrilla resistance, uniting Adivasi warriors under one banner to challenge the might of the British. In 1784, when the Company’s exploitation peaked during a devastating famin...